Helper

***

Chapter 3

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Terry did a lot of research, looking at a number of dating sites and checking out other ideas. It was during that period when he heard a radio advertisement for the adventure club, where singles of various ages went on group outings with other singles. He was quite excited when he heard about it since it was something that really interested him. The boys were even excited for their dad and said they'd like to go along on some of the outings with him, if only there weren't hundreds of miles separating them. Since they weren't available, he recruited Carl to join him.

The two went to one meeting before Christmas and the first meeting of the new year. Terry was happy with what he saw of the program and the prospects; the planned outings looked fun and there were a number of very nice, very attractive women as well as some nice guys with whom he became friends.

Unfortunately, Carl threw a monkey wrench into Terry's plans. He'd met a new woman through his work and started dating her, leaving Terry to continue in the adventure club on his own.

Therefore, Terry spent the next few weeks meeting some of the club members and going on a few outings. It was on a winter nature hike in late January that he got to know a pretty brunette in her early 40s named Stella and before long he had a date lined up with her. They'd met a couple times before at meetings and they talked by phone after the hike. When he asked her out, Stella had an idea.

"Say! Valentine's Day is coming up! How about a Valentine's Day date?"

Terry was hesitant about that, remembering the wonderful Valentine's Day two years earlier that had meant so much to him and to Lacey before his world fell apart just hours later. "Ahem, Stella, Valentine's Day is usually a special day for lovers—"

"Or potential lovers," she said with a grin.

"—so I'm not sure."

"Well, if you put too much meaning into it, just say so, and I'll find someone else."

Realizing that he might be losing his date not only for Valentine's Day but for forever, he quickly relented despite his misgivings. "That's okay! Valentine's Day will work fine. Stella, I'd be honored if you'll be my Valentine."

She laughed. "Let's not get carried away, Terry."

They made arrangements and said goodnight, but Terry was somewhat nervous about their date. He barely knew Stella, so he wasn't sure what to do for their date and especially what to do since the date fell on Valentine's Day.

Terry's sister Rose was a big help. "Since you're meeting at the restaurant, send some flowers to her office earlier in the day. That way, she's not stuck holding them at the restaurant. Bring a single rose to the restaurant if you want to do something extra. She can lay that on the table if she doesn't want to use it like a wand or maybe swat you with it."

"Rose!"

She laughed. "Relax, little brother. I know, it's your first real date since Lacey left, but you need to let that go and focus only on this. If you do, it might be the start of a beautiful thing. You never know."

Surprisingly, Terry was at peace with the situation on Valentine's Day, and he was pleased as the day came together when he received a notification early that afternoon that the flower's had been delivered to Stella and then received a text message shortly thereafter.

T, ur flowers r lovely! Ur such a sweetheart! C U 2nite! S

They met at the restaurant that evening rather than the coffee house that had been Terry's original choice for their first date. It was a fairly warm, clear night for February, but Terry was surprised when Stella arrived. Her dark brown hair just touched the shoulders of her black leather jacket that matched her very short skirt and shiny black heels. Black tights, a pink silk blouse, a gold necklace with a heart set with a series of red gemstones that looked like rubies, and ruby stud earrings completed her outfit. .

They did a polite hug on arriving and were soon seated together at a table where the waitress took their order. Terry helped her with her jacket and then looked admiringly on her almost sheer pink top over a lacy bra that appeared to be of the same color. It was unbuttoned low enough to reveal her cleavage and to be quite distracting.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Stella. You're quite lovely this evening, as always," he told her as he deliberately focused on her eyes and face rather than some inches lower.

"Flatterer," she teased with a smile, clearly appreciating the compliment and his attention while knowing full well the effect she was having on him. "And happy V-day to you, too."

They talked about their families, their jobs, and themselves through dinner, being careful not to share too much or anything too personal. After dinner, they skipped dessert but ordered coffee to extend the evening a little further.

Stella stared at him with smoldering brown eyes as they sipped their coffee. "Terry, you put a lot of stock into all of the silly Valentine's Day hoopla, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Why? Don't you treat your lover as that someone special each and every day? What makes Valentine's any different than any other day other than the fact the card companies need to sell $12 cards and the candy companies need to sell literally tons of ridiculously priced candies?"

Terry paused. "Good question. Let's see...I believe in treating my special someone well each and every day, as you've said, and surprising them with cards, flowers, candy, or what-nots from time to time to make her feel special. Then, on Valentine's Day, I try to do something special to make her see how much she means to me, to make sure she understands that I'm not forgetting the holiday, or ignoring her or taking her granted. Does that make sense?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I think it does. And thank you for the flowers. They really were lovely. I'm just glad you didn't go overboard with all the V-day stuff. I'd have felt suffocated and probably cancelled this little shindig."

"I'm glad I didn't, too, then, if that's the case," he said with a laugh.

Stella touched the heart pendant on her chain, drawing Terry's eyes to it and to her cleavage. When she saw his eyes look down before looking back up quickly, she grinned. "Whew! You were starting to worry me there for a moment. I'd either lost my touch or you actually gay."

"No, believe me, you definitely still have it, and I'm definitely only into women," he replied, chuckling. "I'm just trying to pay close attention and get to know the real you without getting too carried away by the delightful distractions."

She smiled and took a look around the restaurant, knowing that he truly appreciated her look, before she settled her gaze on him once more. "Terry, I've really enjoyed getting to know you so far. Now I have a very personal question. Tell me, what made you decide that now was a good time to get back into the groove with the adventure club and dating in general? Is it the activities? Friendship? Companionship? Or...sex?"

Seeing his initial surprise at her bluntness and then hesitation at forming an appropriate response, she gave a little grin, partially hiding it behind her hand. "There's not a wrong answer, you know. I'm good with any...or all."

He gave his response slowly, haltingly. "Stella, I was married for a long time, and I'm divorced against my will. I've finally realized that she's not coming back and that I need to move on. I'm not in a rush, but sitting at home by myself with my cat wasn't getting me anywhere. You know what I mean?"

"I think we all go through this as we recover from the shock," she agreed. "When I found out my own dear husband was cheating with his assistant, I'd thought we'd be together forever. Then reality struck, he was a cheating scumbag that I didn't know nearly as well as I thought and I was a 41-year old has-been who'd wasted half my life with the bastard with nothing good to show for it. To be honest, it seemed like the end of the world." She took a sip of her coffee before looking back in his eyes. "At least it did until I got back out into it. The world's a big place, Terry, a very big place, and there are lots of opportunities in it. Say, you want to go for a drive, see a bit of it, and make this pretty Valentine's Day last a little longer?"

He was surprised again at her abrupt question, but agreed. "Want to take my—"

"No. Mine. I'm going to hit the facilities first. You might think about that, too. What I have in mind is a bit of a drive, but it will be a lot of fun. But don't worry, I'll have you home by eleven. Or so." She was smiling as he nodded.

Terry took her suggestion and was waiting for her when Stella came back out wearing her leather jacket. She took his hand and, holding it, led him down the street to a Mustang convertible. Nodding toward the passenger door, she went around and got in the driver's seat without waiting for him to open the door for her. Moments later, she had the car's top down and they were off.

It was a gorgeous evening, but with the temperature around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and dropping, it was cold even before they reached 75 on the freeway. Seeing that Stella had her leather jacket zipped all the way to the top, Terry followed suit. He could barely hear what she was saying over the hum of the engine, the roar of the wind, and the blare of the stereo system. She couldn't hear him well either, so she stopped speaking and concentrated on the road as she clicked off the music and took it up to 90. Terry's teeth were chattering, leading her to smile and slow the car back down to around 70 before she barreled onto an exit ramp and slowed dramatically.

With the street lights overhead at the intersection, it was then that he noticed her black, leather skirt had bunched up around her upper thighs as she drove. The tops of her tights and a couple of clips were visible; while he tried to keep his eyes focused on her or their surroundings, they drifted back downward as she came to a stop at the sign at the top of the ramp. In the relative quiet of that particular moment, she heard his sharp intake of breath as he noticed what appeared to be a lack of panties, and she grinned before turning the wheel to the left and stepping on the accelerator to gun the engine, making it roar once more.

As she zipped along the curvy roads, Terry fought his desire and deliberately kept his eyes focused ahead or on her face rather than on her crotch. He saw her continued grin in the pale light of the dash and her eyes dart toward him on a couple of occasions. It wasn't long before Stella slowed suddenly and whipped into the driveway of a home by the lake.

She pulled up to the end of the driveway where they could look out over the moonlit lake and she turned off the ignition, pushed her skirt down a little, and started to get out.

"Is this your home?" asked Terry, a bit nervous since he thought she'd mentioned living in the city.

"Oh, no. It's my sister's lake house. They only come up on the weekends so she lets me use it whenever I like during the week. Come on around back. I wanna' show you something for Valentine's Day." She took the path toward the rear and then paused as she held out a hand toward him.

They walked the path together, with Terry enjoying a sense of excitement as he held her soft, smooth hand. He felt tingly, alive, and even aroused, feelings that had been in short supply since Lacey's departure.

What would Lacey think if she knew I was on a romantic date like this? he wondered. His level of apprehension rose and his breathing became shorter and shallower before reality struck.

We're divorced and she wouldn't care a bit.

He almost sighed at his stupidity, but caught himself just in time, not wanting Stella to interpret it as boredom on his part or to otherwise hurt her feelings.

It was then that she stopped on a terrace overlooking the lake. The moonlight reflecting across the surface combined with the lights of homes in the distance made it look somewhat like a Thomas Kinkade painting.

"Wow! That really is a beautiful view," he said.

"Wanna' have a seat to enjoy it?" she asked, motioning to a two-person swing next to a trellis. Not waiting for an answer, she pulled his hand toward the swing and had him sit down next to her.

"I love coming here on nights with a full moon, particularly when it's in the western sky like this. It feels so...invigorating."

"Ah, you're not about to turn into a lady werewolf, are you? Or, as cold as I am after that ride, maybe a furry Yeti or Bigfoot. Or whatever the Saint Valentine's Day version is?"

Her eyes, focused on the moon, snapped back toward him to see him grinning.

"Funny guy," she replied, giving him a light punch to the arm. "Seriously, I do feel like my hormones go crazy on nights like this, but I've never broken out in fangs or a fur coat. Then again, it's V-Day after all, and my level of desire might do wonders in helping you stay warm..."

She slid her hand down across his pants where his penis, already aroused at her earlier show, was swelling further at her comments and then, too, at her touch. She moved her head forward and brought her lips up to his.

It was happening all too fast, but Terry pushed his doubts aside and concentrated only on Stella as she broke their embrace for a moment so she could maneuver around to straddle his lap. He, in turn, slid his arms back around her and rolled his head back slightly so their lips could connect again. With their lips staying together and tongues tangling, she started trying to shrug off her jacket before Terry understood and helped her out of it.

When he did, he realized that the bra she'd been wearing earlier was no longer in place as she pushed her breasts, her nipples hard, against his chest. She was large, much larger even than Lacey's double Ds while breastfeeding the boys.

Terry didn't have time to think about it, though, for she pulled away, grinning at him, and arched her back to bring her nipples up close to his face. Swaying gently, she brought one near so he could just flick it with his tongue through the silk-like material. After the second pass, she whispered, "Unbutton the rest but do not rip it."

Noting the intensity with which she'd said it, Terry obliged and her blouse was soon on top of her jacket on the swing beside him as he flicked her nipples, sharp points in the cold with goosebumps on her areolas, a few more times before gently sucking one into his mouth.

As he did, he felt her hands struggling with his belt buckle and then his pants. She pushed the top of his boxer briefs down a bit to expose the tip of his manhood, which pulsed when exposed to the cool evening air and then her hands. When she could make no more progress on her own, he helped by raising up a bit to push his pants down, causing the swing to sway uncomfortably for a moment and laughter from both of them as he grabbed at it to try to get it to stop moving.

"I've never done this on a swing," he said.

"Don't worry, it's easy. You'll get used to it."

With his pants down below his knees and Stella wearing no panties under the leather skirt, she took advantage of the situation to slide her heated sex against him, forward and back. The swing rocked gently, back and forth as she did as Terry continued to nuzzle and suck her big breasts, enjoying all of the sensations he'd missed since Lacey had been gone.

"Do you have a condom?" she whispered.

"In my wallet. My boys made me start carrying one."

"Kids these days," she said, shaking her head with a smirk. "Brace your legs and hold me."

She leaned back and struggled to reach the back of his pants. "Ohhh! That hurts...ah...uhm...got it!" she groaned as he pulled her forward, once again sucking a nipple into his mouth before pulling away and letting it pop out of his pursed lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he gently rubbed her back.

"Yeah, I think so, but I'll tell you now, Valentine's boy, this better be a good fuck to be worth that."

She smiled at him, but Terry got the sense that she really wasn't kidding.

When she got the condom in place, she slowly lowered herself on him, backing off a bit before descending again, each time deeper until he was fully inside and they were tight against each other.

"Terry, that definitely feels good," said Stella, her eyes closed as she started moving her pelvis against him. "Oooh, damn good!" Her head rolled back as her eyes remained closed and he enjoyed the expressions on her face as she added breathily, "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck me!"

He smiled even though his motion was limited due to the swing, but as they continued, it started to rock. He held her buttocks, squeezing them for their feel and to support her, as she slid a hand down between them to rub her clit. Their movements continued, with him rocking forward and back, his cock driving in and out of her as she timed her own rocking to match. The sounds of their fervid coupling, with flesh against flesh, his impassioned breathing, and her increasingly vocal moans were matched by the reech-reeck, reech-reeck, reech-reeck of the swing's chains.

While he hadn't used a condom in years, he felt her through it and the sensations slowly became too much. He concentrated for all he was worth, trying to hold out, but when Stella's body shuddered, he could take no more. He let go, feeling himself explode into her, shooting time and again. She collapsed against him, holding him for a few moments as she regained her composure before lifting up, allowing him to slide out of her. She gave him a quick kiss before standing up, holding on to steady herself as she straightened her skirt and reached for her blouse.

"Wow. That was good," she said with a smile as she quickly dressed, her teeth chattering as the temperature continued to drop. "Happy Valentine's Day, Terry. Now, tie that thing off and take it with you and let's put the top up on the car so we can get you home without freezing our goodies off."

***

Chapter 4

It had been, in Terry's mind, a very different kind of Valentine's Day.

While it had felt wonderful, Terry wasn't sure what it was. It had happened so quickly and then was over even faster. Too fast, too efficiently, he felt.

Sex to him had always been a sharing of two beings with a time afterward to bask in the glow and the togetherness, but with Stella, it had been, as she'd said, a good fuck, all too quickly over and done with. Perhaps, he thought, it was because of the cold; the temperature had fallen to 40 by the time he got home. Maybe she'd felt rushed by being outside in the open, even though the neighboring houses were well away; if they had another session, he hoped they'd know each other better and it would have that special feeling that was missing in this case.

He called Stella the next day and they spoke for a few minutes, but she had to decline his offer of another date for the weekend due to already having other plans.

"Maybe next weekend?" he asked.

"Terry, I can't make plans that far in advance!"

They spoke again on Thursday night and then he was looking forward to seeing her the next Tuesday at the monthly club meeting.

When he arrived, he saw Stella speaking with several guys. He approached and she said hello before introducing him to those he hadn't met. He was disappointed when she moved off with one of the new guys, briefly biting his lower lip in frustration.

"Terry, Stella's a tough one," commented Nathan, one of the more established members he'd met before. "You been out with her or are you still waiting your turn?"

Terry looked around at him in surprise and Nathan nodded. "I'll take that as an 'already done that.' So...was it the roof terrace or the lake house?"